Dear John,

In just three weeks, we’ll come together for our 2025 Youth Advocates of the Year Awards to honor the accomplishments of outstanding young leaders and public health champions from the U.S. and around the world.

ANNOUNCING OUR GROUP YOUTH ADVOCATES OF THE YEAR

This year, we’re thrilled to recognize the Ramsey County Student Action Team of Ramsey County, Minnesota, as our Group Youth Advocates of the Year. This award honors a leading U.S.-based youth coalition working to protect their peers and community from tobacco. 

Clara Seeley, Summer Balfanz, and My Linh Nguyẽn of the Ramsey County Student Action Team

About the Ramsey County Student Action Team

The Ramsey County Student Action Team (SAT) is a dedicated group of youth advocates united by a common mission: stopping Big Tobacco. They’ve witnessed the impact of tobacco use and nicotine addiction on their peers, family members and community, and they refuse to let this insidious industry continue targeting youth.

Members of Ramsey County SAT have advocated at the state and local levels in Minnesota for effective policies to prevent youth tobacco use. At the local level, they have worked to strengthen policies in the cities of Vadnais Heights, Arden Hills and New Brighton, including ending sales of flavored e-cigarettes and other flavored commercial tobacco products, capping the number of retailers allowed to sell tobacco products, and increasing fines for retailers who break the law. They are particularly proud that, in November 2024, the Vadnais Heights City Council voted unanimously to end flavored tobacco sales after members of Ramsey County SAT testified before the council, organized letters of support and submitted letters to the editor in the local newspaper.

At the state level, Ramsey County SAT participated in MN Day at the Capitol, making a bold statement with bright pink “Keep Lungs Loud!” t-shirts. They met with state legislators, engaged with the media and came together to make their voices heard. Their efforts helped convince a local lawmaker to co-sponsor the bill to end flavored tobacco sales. 

Group members have also helped conduct compliance checks to ensure retailers aren’t selling tobacco products to youth and educated middle schoolers about the harms of e-cigarettes and other tobacco products.

We’re thrilled to honor the Ramsey County Student Action Team for their leadership, persistence and creativity in working to create the first tobacco-free generation.

Two more honorees to come! We’ve previously announced our Champion Award, Global Health Advocacy Changemaker, and Global Young Ambassador of the Year honorees. Stay tuned, as two more exciting announcements are on the way: the Judy Wilkenfeld Award for International Tobacco Control Excellence and the Barrie Fiske National Youth Advocate of the Year.

I hope to see you on May 8th!

Best,

Tickets: Individual tickets to this year’s event are $400.

More Information: For sponsorship opportunities, tickets and additional details, please visit tfk.org/Awards.

Where: Kogod Courtyard at the National Portrait Gallery and Smithsonian American Art Museum, 8th and F Streets NW, Washington, DC.